Children's home run by Five Rivers Child Care Limited in Wiltshire

Inspection report for children's home: SC006921 1 SC006921 Registered provider: Five Rivers Child Care Limited

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned children’s home provides care for up to five children between the ages of seven and 14 years with social and emotional difficulties. The home offers attachment and trauma-informed therapeutic support.

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered with Ofsted in 1997 and the registered manager has been in post since 2013. At the time of the inspection there were four children living at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: SC006921 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

04/07/2023 Full Good 18/10/2022 Full Good 20/04/2021 Full Good 27/11/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: SC006921 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The overall experience and progress made by children and young people is outstanding. Children have made exceptional progress from their individual starting points since living in the home, due to the care they receive. Children’s emotional health, confidence and self-esteem have significantly improved. Children are helped to attend and engage in education and meet their education targets.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children have been supported to develop and sustain trusting and meaningful relationships by a skilled, nurturing, consistent and caring workforce who have a range of experience and skills. Children have comprehensive good-quality plans that fully reflect their voice, needs and vulnerabilities. Children’s plans describe their short-term and longer-term ambitions and capture their voice, to ensure that they influence and shape the care being provided, for example, how they would like to be helped when they are distressed or angry.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children are helped by highly skilled staff who work together to provide stability and to ensure that children achieve their goals and aspirations. Children are supported with clear, consistent and appropriate boundaries and routines that are relevant to their needs. As a result, children have been helped to better manage difficult feelings and settle into routines in the home and at school. Children are in good health and have access to weekly therapy to support their emotional needs. Multi-agency integrated case management meetings take place on a regular basis to review children’s health, education and care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children are provided with a range of social and recreational activities that match their individual interests, such as ice skating, gymnastics, going to police cadets and crazy golf. This promotes children’s social development, with opportunities to actively participate in their communities. Children are very well supported to develop their independence, through a range of activities such as cooking, cleaning and shopping.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children’s meaningful and purposeful key-work sessions with staff provide them with opportunities to talk through their worries and learn how to keep themselves safe. Children understand their rights and know who they can talk to if they are unhappy. Children’s participation in decision-making in the home is treated as a priority, and they can provide feedback about their care through weekly house meetings and key-work sessions.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Family time is actively encouraged and supported by staff so children can enjoy time with the people who are important to them.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: outstanding

Children receive exceptional help and protection from dedicated staff who understand their needs very well. Children have individual detailed risk assessments that are reviewed on a regular basis and amended to reflect their emerging needs. Children have Inspection report for children's home: SC006921 4 been helped to reduce behaviours that harm others, through having clear, consistent and appropriate boundaries. Children are protected in the home; they feel safe and secure. Safeguarding incidents are rare.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: outstanding

Staff promote positive behaviour and are thoughtful and sensitive with children. Staff support children to reduce challenging behaviours through effective and appropriate de- escalation techniques and intervention strategies. Children tell staff what they find helpful when they are feeling distressed. This is recorded in their individual risk assessments. Physical intervention is very rarely used.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: outstanding

All incidents are robustly recorded and reviewed by the manager. Children are offered opportunities to talk through their feelings and the events leading up to the incident. Children are helped to understand and manage their emotions, which helps to reduce their distress and vulnerabilities. Consistent skilled support has ensured that children feel a strong sense of stability and safety and do not go missing from the home.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: outstanding

Staff understand the home’s child protection and whistle-blowing policies and who they need to speak with should they have any concerns, including the local authority designated officer.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Since the last inspection, in July 2023, leaders and managers have continued to provide consistent and highly effective services for children. Managers know the service very well and welcome professional challenge and scrutiny by the independent visitor. Managers respond effectively and promptly to recommendations made by the visitor. Purposeful communication with key stakeholders has enabled managers to develop and sustain positive working relationships with parents, carers, social workers, therapists and clinical leads.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The highly efficient registered manager is very ambitious for children and has created a positive and highly effective workforce culture. This has supported retention of staff and ensured children have received consistent, high-quality and continuous care from trusted child-centred staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers have been highly effective in providing outstanding help and support to children living in the home. The registered manager and staff caring for children are very aspirational for all children and ensure high standards of individualised care. This includes comprehensively advocating on behalf of children to ensure their needs are met.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Clear recruitment processes ensure only people who are suitable to work with children are appointed. The staff induction programme and learning opportunities are comprehensive and ensure staff are equipped with the knowledge and skills needed to care for children effectively. Staff are trained to ensure they use the preferred model of care in their everyday interactions with children. Inspection report for children's home: SC006921 5 Staff receive supervision on a regular basis and engage in weekly staff meetings, facilitated by a clinical psychologist to support staff to reflect on children’s needs and explore different approaches to help children. This ensures children are at the centre of staff’s thinking and practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Annual appraisals and reviews support staff to evaluate their development and identify future learning needs and career aspirations. Staff describe leaders and managers as helpful, supportive and approachable.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

As a result of this inspection no requirements or recommendations were made. Inspection report for children's home: SC006921 6

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, using the social care common inspection framework. This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, and to consider how well it complies with The Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’. Inspection report for children's home: SC006921 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Five Rivers Child Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Five Rivers Child Care, 47 Bedwin Street, Salisbury SP1 3UT

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Timothy-John Matthews

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Inspector

Nicki Shaw, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: SC006921 8 achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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